Gary Sinise

As one of the founding members of the renowned Steppenwolf Theater, actor Gary Sinise honed his skills on the stage before becoming an accomplished supporting and lead actor on television and in films...
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Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino will help to kick off the carnival celebrations for the 2014 Mardi Gras by reigning over the annual Orpheus Parade in New Orleans, Louisiana in March (14). The Django Unchained director has been selected as the 2014 Celebrity Monarch and will lead a 27-float procession through the city's streets on the Monday night before Mardi Gras (03Mar14).
R&B and rock icon Fats Domino was previously named the honorary grand marshal of the Lundi Gras parade, but his eldest son, Antoine Domino III, will attend in the reclusive star's place.
Veteran rockers Cheap Trick and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and The Party Crashers will be among the performers at the street party.
Actors Gary Sinise and Mariska Hargitay presided over the crowds at last year's (13) Orpheus event, which was co-founded by New Orleans native Harry Connick, Jr. in 1993. Whoopi Goldberg, Sandra Bullock, Stevie Wonder and Cyndi Lauper have all taken part in the fun in previous years.

Marvel
Film adaptations of Stephen King’s work have run the gamut. They have been critical masterpieces like Misery and The Shawshank Redemption. They have been crowd pleasers like Carrie and The Shining. They have also been epically bad like The Langoliers. It seems like a no-brainer to adapt a King novel, especially if it’s been successful in other media. However, The Stand has already lost three directors: David Yates, Ben Affleck, and Scott Cooper. But this book needs to be adapted!
King’s The Stand is a novel about the end of the world. A superflu takes out the majority of the population and the survivors must rally on the light and dark sides. The people of the light side, including a rock star, a deaf-mute, and a pregnant teen, rally around an elderly black woman in Boulder, Colorado. A prisoner, a pyromaniac, and a spinster virgin rally around a faceless specter of evil in a jean jacket in (naturally) Las Vegas. As they try to rebuild society, a holy war hangs in the balance and everyone must make a “stand.”
The book has everything: sex, intrigue, suspense and even a teen mom. The novel has already been turned into a successful graphic novel for Marvel that turned the 800-plus page epic into a 31-issue comic book series. The book was also made into a memorable television mini-series starring Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe, and Laura San Giacomo a few years ago.
Our obsession with the zombie apocalypse is still in full force with the success of The Walking Dead and movies like 28 Days Later, World War Z, and the comedy Zombieland. The Stand offers a shocking alternative. What if the world is completely full of dead bodies and the survivors must survive a world with no laws? How would people survive? Rather than a throng of bodies chasing you, what if it was just silence and death. This vision of a post-apocalyptic world hasn’t really been handled by mainstream cinema. It has the makings of a Harry Potter/Hunger Games -style epic.
We aren’t just obsessed with zombies. This is the End proved that the Book of Revelations is still ripe for artistic interpretation. It also brought up some interesting quandaries. What if we lived in a world without electricity? Running water? The Stand features people living in such a world. What would we do in a world without the Internet where the bulk of our technology is utterly useless?
The Stand takes a very unique view of a post-apocalyptic society. 99% of the population dies and the survivors must navigate a world with no power, dead bodies everywhere, and no laws. Added to all that is a Holy War. Hopefully, someone can jump on this film quick and make it happen. After all, The Hunger Games only has two films left.
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Filmmaker Paul Greengrass has been tipped to direct a movie adaptation of Stephen King's classic The Stand. The Bourne Supremacy director is reportedly in talks with bosses at Warner Bros. to create a new film based on King's 1978 post-apocalyptic horror novel, according to Badassdigest.com.
The film has faced numerous delays since Harry Potter director David Yates reportedly stepped down in 2011. Ben Affleck was also linked to the job earlier this year (13) before walking away, and his replacement, Scott Cooper, also recently exited the project.
The Stand was previously seen as a 1994 TV mini-series starring Gary Sinise, Rob Lowe and Molly Ringwald.

WENN
Writer and director Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace) has opted to exit his developing project, an adaptation of Stephen King film adaption of The Stand, According to The Wrap. Reports are that Cooper cites "creative differences" with Warner Bros as his reason for leaving the project.
The Stand, which is based on King's 1978 post-apocalyptic horror novel of the same name, was originally expected to be written by Steve Kloves and directed by David Yates (of Harry Potter fame). However, both Kloves and Yates exited the project because they felt it would work better as a mini-series. Afterwards, Oscar winner Ben Affleck (Argo) signed on to write, direct, and star. But, soon after, Affleck left so he could direct and star in another Warner Bros. project, Live By the Night.
Once Affleck exited, Cooper was immediately tapped to direct and rewrite the script for the film, which had already had a first draft by David Kajganich. From the onslaught, the film has been labeled a priority project for the studio, so loss of another director could be spelling trouble for the adaption.
Cooper's exit may cause even more concern for studio since The Stand has a reputation of being one King's more complex novels, and it won't be easy to get another director to immediately sign on. In addition, Warner Bros. seems unsure whether they want the novel to be adapted into a franchise or just one film, which could also be holding up the production.
However, Cooper's exit is not the end of the world (pun intended). The latest rumors are speculating that Christian Bale may sign on to star in The Stand, and the addition of big name actor could help draw in another well known writer/director.
The Stand was previously developed into an eight hour mini-series for ABC, with a script written by King himself. This 1994 version starred Gary Sinise and Molly Ringwald.
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Country star Hank Williams, Jr. will ring in 2014 as a winner - he will be honoured for his support of the U.S. military during his New Year's Eve (31Dec13) concert in Nashville, Tennessee. The singer, who has performed at various military bases over the years, will receive the Patriot Award from officials at the non-profit Operation Troop Aid (OTA) organisation as he headlines the Bash on Broadway show next month (Dec13).
OTA founder and executive director Mark Woods says, "I am extremely honoured to award Hank Williams, Jr. the 2013 Patriot Award. His art, legacy of family and Spirit of Patriotism is exactly why this award exists. He never forgot his roots and why we have the freedom we do in America."
He follows in the footsteps of previous recipients Toby Keith, KISS, Gary Sinise and Charlie Daniels.

Bette Midler has added her tribute to That Old Feeling co-star Dennis Farina following his death on Monday (22Jul13). The stars played divorced parents in the 1997 romantic comedy, and Midler has spoken of her sadness at learning of Farina's passing after he suffered a blood clot in his lung.
In a post on her Twitter.com page, she writes, "Dennis Farina, my co-star in 'That Old Feeling', dead at 69. My deepest sympathy to he's (sic) family. He was one of a kind."
Patty Duke, who appeared with the actor in 1994 TV movie One Woman's Courage, also added to the outpouring of tributes, writing, "How grateful I am to have known the spirit and worked with the wonderful man and actor, Dennis Farina. He will be sorely missed. RIP."
And actor Gary Sinise also took to Twitter.com to ‏declare, "Deeply saddened (at) news of passing of Chicago pal Dennis Farina.So fine an actor & good man. Known him since early 80s. RIP friend."

The Great Gatsby director Baz Luhrmann is set to be honoured in Italy next month (Jul13) with a special award named after celebrated local filmmaker Luchino Visconti. The 50 year old will be feted at the Ischia Global Film & Music Festival on 19 July (13) during a special gala at the Vila La Columbaia, Visconti's former residence.
Throughout the eight-day event, three of Luhrmann's movies will be screened, including his latest blockbuster with Leonardo DiCaprio.
Calling the Australian "one of today's most creative risk takers," artistic director Pascal Vicedomini tells The Hollywood Reporter he's delighted Luhrmann has been selected as this year's (13) recipient.
Past winners of the Luchino Visconti Legend Award have included director Tom Hooper and screenwriter/director Paul Haggis.

Presidents were this year's hot item on the big and small screens, but pop culture has always been obsessed with dressing up actors to look like the men who fill our text books. Inspired by 2012's trend, Hollywood.com has combed through cinematic history to whip up this handy infographic, chronicling decades of Presidential appearances in pop culture. In the end, one thing is clear: Futurama did a lot in the name of presidential representation.
Check below the image for the key, revealing the actor assigned to each president.
Click to Enlarge
David Morse as George Washington in John Adams
William Daniels as John Adams in 1776
Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson in Paris
Burgess Meredith as James Madison in Magnificent Doll
Morgan Wallace as James Monroe in Alexander Hamilton
Anthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams in Amistad
Charlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in The President's Lady
Nigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren in Amistad
David Clennon as William Henry Harrison in Tecumseh (1994)
John Tyler in Futurama
James K. Polk in Futurama
James Gammon as Zachary Taylor in One Man's Hero
Millard Fillmore has never been portrayed
Franklin Pierce in Futurama
James Buchanan has never been portrayed
Daniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln
Dennis Clark as Andrew Johnson in The Conspirator
Kevin Kline as Ulysses S. Grant in Wild Wild West
John DiMaggio as Rutherford B. Hayes in Futurama
Francis Sayles as James A. Garfield in The Night Riders
Maurice LaMarche as Chester A. Arthur in Futurama
Pat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in Futurama
Roy Gordon as Benjamin Harrison in Futurama
Pat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in Futurama
Brian Keith as William McKinley in Rough Riders
Robin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Walter Massey as William Howard Taft in The Greatest Game Ever Played
Bob Gunton as Woodrow Wilson in Iron Jawed Angels
Warren G. Harding in Futurama
Calvin Coolidge in Futurama
Herbert Hoover in Futurama
Bill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park on the Hudson
Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman in Truman
Tom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-Day
Bruce Greenwood as John F. Kennedy Thirteen Days
Randy Quaid as Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years
Dan Hedaya as Richard Nixon in Dick
Dick Crockett as Gerald Ford in Pink Panther Strikes Again
Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter in Saturday Night Live
James Brolin as Ronald Reagan in The Reagans
James Cromwell as George H. W. Bush in W.
Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton in The Special Relationship
Timothy Bottoms as George W. Bush in That's My Bush!
Jordan Peele as Barack Obama in Key and Peele
[Photo Credit: Hollywood.com]
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On this week’s Naughty or Nice, we’re taking a more aggressive approach to the holidays. While the majority of Christmas movies tend to be comedies or dramas (or dramedies), one of the more delightful deviations is the Christmas action film. If there is anything we want our true loves to bring us more than turtledoves and French hens, it’s bullets a-spraying and golden ringing in our ears after a massive explosion. Even within this substantially precise sub-genre, there are still more than enough entries to delineate between those that are dynamite and those that woefully miss their targets.
Nice: Die Hard
Dir: John McTiernan
Cast: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Reginald VelJohnson
Plot: New York police officer John McClane comes out to L.A. to visit his estranged wife Holly during her company’s Christmas party. Unfortunately, an international gang of armed thieves has also decided to attend. Now, isolated in a skyscraper, McClane must not only singlehandedly take on the villains, but also literally walk across broken glass to save his marriage.
Die Hard is not just the standard for Christmas actioners, it would serve as the archetype for many action films that followed. The claustrophobic, violent adventure story with a lone, put-upon protagonist presented an interesting, self-contained approach to mayhem that redefined both the genre hero and action set piece conceptualization. We may quote it nonstop and cheer at the baser thrills (seeing the body hit the cop car, Willis’ goading cowboy signoff, etc), but Die Hard is far more vital to the climate of cinema than most give it credit for.
What’s great about Die Hard is the specific means by which it utilizes Christmas as an ironic accent to the murder and destruction. While it’s no secret that the movie takes place during the holiday season, it doesn’t overwhelm the film’s narrative. Change the reason for the Nakatomi party that coincides with McClane’s visit, and the movie could pretty much take place at any point during the year. However, Michael Kamen’s ever-present score, laden with festive jingle bells, juxtapose the brutal, nightmarish content of the movie with the joy of the holiday; excerpts of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” throughout furthers this juxtaposition.
Without a doubt, Die Hard is what made Bruce Willis a movie star. It wasn’t his first film, and in fact he was already a popular TV personality thanks to Moonlighting, but Die Hard as much changed the public perception of Willis as it did redefine the blockbuster action movie. Merely by stepping out of his comfort zone, Willis stumbled upon the mode that would characterize his career from that point forward.
Naughty: Reindeer Games
Dir: John Frankenheimer
Cast: Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron, Gary Sinise
Plot: A paroled thief makes the mistake of getting involved with a woman with whom his recently murdered cellmate was corresponding. This encounter quickly finds him entangled with a group of criminals intent on robbing a casino. He is forced to take part to save his own skin.
So right off the bat, we have several fundamental similarities that make a compelling case for Reindeer Games’ classification as a Die Hard rip-off. It is a Christmas action film that centers on a robbery, features a put-upon hero, and ends with a pile of dead crooks. From there, the differences are so stark as to choke out any favorable comparisons. Indeed, their few visible shared traits only serve to shine harsher light upon Reindeer Games’ innumerable shortcomings. In many ways, we can think of Reindeer Games as the lesser sibling of Die Hard
For example, let us take a look at the films’ respective protagonists. Yes, both are in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the events that land them at that wrong place express the divergent endearing qualities of those heroes. Where one is a guy just trying to rekindle his relationship with his wife, the other is a two-bit crook who pretends to be someone else in order to bed a beautiful woman. McClane is a cop whose natural inclination is toward saving the day; Affleck’s character is vile and dishonest at his core. Also, if you thought the plot of Die Hard relied a bit heavily on convenient circumstance, the plot of Reindeer Games is so dependent upon the occurring of an exact series of variables as to be something more akin to deus ex schlockina.
Oddly, there is something fascinating about examining the directors and actors involved in these two films; they actually somewhat align when shifted across the timelines of their catalogs. Bruce Willis was altering his paradigm by moving into action films early, and currently Ben Affleck has been charting his own major shift. With directorial efforts Gone Baby Gone, The Town, and now Argo, Affleck has firmly established himself behind the camera.
And then we have John McTiernan and John Frankenheimer in the respective director’s chairs here. Both of these filmmakers’ names carry a great deal of weight, and these two films represent benchmarks at opposing ends of two formidable careers. Die Hard was McTiernan’s third film, and released just a year after Predator. It was clear he was coming into his own in a big way. Meanwhile, Frankenheimer was nearing the end of his career, and sadly his life, when he made Reindeer Games. It’s one of those unfortunate examples of a great filmmaker losing his touch, while simultaneously featuring an actor who in constant struggle to be respected as a leading man. And yet now, Affleck is a talented director, Willis is about to star in the fifth Die Hard film, and legal troubles have prevented McTiernan from making a movie since 2003. The pendulum continues to swing.
[Photo Credit: Dimension Films; 20th Century Fox]
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2012 was a heated year for Presidential politics, with Barack Obama and Mitt Romney vying for the position of Commander-in-Chief and the battle of ideologies dominating every facet of pop culture. Movies and television also did their fair share of respectful homage-ing to the Head of State, with Daniel Day-Lewis' stirring portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in Spielberg's Lincoln (and the vampire-hunting alternative), Jordan Peele finding room to mock our sitting Prez in Key and Peele, and Bill Murray finding the swinger side of America's only four-termer, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in this weekend's Hyde Park on the Hudson. History teachers across the country have never been prouder of what they do than in the last 365 days.
Presidents were this year's hot item on the big and small screens, but pop culture has always been obsessed with dressing up actors to look like the men who fill our text books. Inspired by 2012's trend, Hollywood.com has combed through cinematic history to whip up this handy infographic, chronicling decades of Presidential appearances in pop culture. In the end, one thing is clear: Futurama did a lot in the name of presidential representation.
Check below the image for the key, revealing the actor assigned to each president.
Click to EnlargeDavid Morse as George Washington in John AdamsWilliam Daniels as John Adams in 1776Nick Nolte as Thomas Jefferson in Jefferson in ParisBurgess Meredith as James Madison in Magnificent DollMorgan Wallace as James Monroe in Alexander HamiltonAnthony Hopkins as John Quincy Adams in AmistadCharlton Heston as Andrew Jackson in The President's LadyNigel Hawthorne as Martin Van Buren in AmistadDavid Clennon as William Henry Harrison in Tecumseh (1994)John Tyler in FuturamaJames K. Polk in FuturamaJames Gammon as Zachary Taylor in One Man's HeroMillard Fillmore has never been portrayedFranklin Pierce in FuturamaJames Buchanan has never been portrayedDaniel Day-Lewis as Abraham Lincoln in LincolnDennis Clark as Andrew Johnson in The ConspiratorKevin Kline as Ulysses S. Grant in Wild Wild WestJohn DiMaggio as Rutherford B. Hayes in FuturamaFrancis Sayles as James A. Garfield in The Night RidersMaurice LaMarche as Chester A. Arthur in Futurama Pat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in FuturamaRoy Gordon as Benjamin Harrison in FuturamaPat McCormick as Grover Cleveland in FuturamaBrian Keith as William McKinley in Rough RidersRobin Williams as Theodore Roosevelt in Night at the Museum: Battle of the SmithsonianWalter Massey as William Howard Taft in The Greatest Game Ever PlayedBob Gunton as Woodrow Wilson in Iron Jawed AngelsWarren G. Harding in FuturamaCalvin Coolidge in FuturamaHerbert Hoover in FuturamaBill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt in Hyde Park on the HudsonGary Sinise as Harry S. Truman in TrumanTom Selleck as Dwight D. Eisenhower in Ike: Countdown to D-DayBruce Greenwood as John F. Kennedy Thirteen DaysRandy Quaid as Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ: The Early YearsDan Hedaya as Richard Nixon in DickDick Crockett as Gerald Ford in Pink Panther Strikes AgainDan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter in Saturday Night LiveJames Brolin as Ronald Reagan in The ReagansJames Cromwell as George H. W. Bush in W.Dennis Quaid as Bill Clinton in The Special RelationshipTimothy Bottoms as George W. Bush in That's My Bush!Jordan Peele as Barack Obama in Key and Peele
Follow Matt Patches on Twitter @misterpatches
[Photo Illustration by Hollywood.com; Photo Credits: Comedy Central (12); HBO (4); Columbia Pictures (2); Warner Bros (2); DreamWorks (2); 20th Century Fox (3); NBC(2); Touchstone Pictures; Universal Pictures; Turner Pictures; Paramount Pictures; Orion Pictures; Roadside Attractions; Republic Pictures; TNT; Buena Vista Pictures; Focus Features; A&amp;E; New Line; United Artists; Showtime; Lionsgate; iStockphoto]
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Title

Starred as Stanley in the 50th Anniversary production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" at Steppenwolf Theatre

Garnered an Emmy Award for portrayal of the Alabama governor in TNT's "George Wallace"

TV directorial debut with a two-part episode of "Crime Story"

Cast in starring role on "CSI: NY" (CBS) as a crime-scene investigator; first foray into series television

Primetime debut, had a two-line role on CBS drama "Knots Landing"

Made TV debut as an extra in disco scenes on the ABC daytime serial "General Hospital" (date approx.)

Co-starred as the paraplegic Lieutenant Dan Taylor opposite Tom Hanks in "Forrest Gump"; received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination

Won praise for portrayal of U.S. President Harry Truman in the HBO biopic "Truman"

Acted with wife Moira Harris on an episode of "Crime Story" (NBC)

Returned to Chicago and began appearing in Steppenwolf productions

Cast as a police detective investigating a kidnapping in "Ransom," directed by Howard

Helmed two episodes of "thirtysomething" (ABC)

Guest starred as his "CSI: NY" character on "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" (CBS)

Starred as Randle P. McMurphy in Steppenwolf revival of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"; production originated in Chicago before moving to London

Played a psychiatrist opposite Julianne Moore in the thriller "The Forgotten"

Voiced a paranoid über-hunter in the animated comedy "Open Season"

Starred in the sci-fi tilm "Impostor"; originally intended as one of three short films to be released under the title "Alien Love Story," movie was re-worked into a feature; also co-produced with director Gary Fleder

Recreated role of McMurphy in Broadway revival of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"; earned Tony nomination

Landed lead role in the ABC miniseries version of Stephen King's "The Stand"

Co-starred in Steppenwolf staging of "Loose Ends"

Portrayed a novelist opposite Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman in "The Human Stain"

Directed Steppenwolf production of "True West" by Sam Shepard; production moved off-Broadway in NYC; also played role of Austin

Appeared in the Brian De Palma-directed thriller "Snake Eyes"

Formed band The Bonsoir Boys; played bass and sang

At age 18, co-founded (with Terry Kinney and Jeff Perry) Chicago's acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre at a church in Highland Park

Made feature acting debut in "A Midnight Clear"

Broadway debut as co-producer and director, "Buried Child"; received Tony nomination as Director of a Play

First network TV-movie, "Family Secrets" (NBC); appeared as a motorcyclist

Feature directorial debut with "Miles From Home"

Starred in the Steppenwolf production of "The Grapes of Wrath," which toured New York, London, Chicago and La Jolla; received Tony Award nomination for Broadway production; reprised role in a 1991 PBS production

Appeared in "The Indian Wants the Bronx" at Steppenwolf

Undertook villainous role in the Frankenheimer-directed "Reindeer Games"

Narrated The History Channel's "Missions That Changed the War"

Moved to Los Angeles

First notable TV work, recreating stage role in "True West" opposite John Malkovich for a presentation of PBS' "American Playhouse"

Appeared in "Balm in Gilead" off-Broadway; production directed by Malkovich

Returned to outer space as an astronaut leading a "Mission to Mars," helmed by De Palma

Born in Blue Island, IL (Chicago's south side); raised in Highland Park, IL

Summary

As one of the founding members of the renowned Steppenwolf Theater, actor Gary Sinise honed his skills on the stage before becoming an accomplished supporting and lead actor on television and in films. Sinise began his rise to prominence with a taped stage performance of Sam Shepard's "True West" (PBS, 1984), which was previously performed off-Broadway to great acclaim. But his first real forays into Hollywood were as a director, not an actor - he helmed episodes of "Crime Story" (NBC, 1986-88) and "thirtysomething" (ABC, 1987-1991), while making his feature directorial debut with "Miles from Home" (1988), before finally stepping in front of the camera for a memorable performance as an emotionally fragile soldier in "A Midnight Clear" (1992). He next received high praise for both his directing and acting with his adaptation of "Of Mice and Men" (1992). But Sinise soon delivered his most enduring role, playing Lt. Dan in the winning drama "Forrest Gump" (1994), a role many fans identified with the actor for the rest of his career. Following a pivotal supporting turn in Ron Howard's "Apollo 13" (1995), he went on to deliver two powerful leading performances of historical figures, playing "Truman" (HBO, 1995) and "George Wallace" (TNT, 1997); the latter of which earned him an Emmy Award. A string of varied roles, playing both hero and villain in movies like "Reindeer Games" (2000), "Mission to Mars" (2000) and "The Human Stain" (2003) soon followed. But he took an unpredictable turn toward series television, landing the lead role in the hit spin-off procedural, "CSI: NY" (CBS, 2004- ). While the show took him away from features, Sinise nonetheless remained a prominent performer capable of maintaining a high-level of public interest and critical acclaim.

Education

Name

Highland Park High School

Notes

"There are times when I just love acting so much. It's almost spiritual. A visceral adrenaline thing that's kind of addicting. There's something really insecure inside me. I never lose that insecure actor thing, I've always had that. Even when things are working. There's something I have to keep proving to myself I can do it." – from "At Lunch with Gary Sinise: A Takeoff Fueled By Passion" by Bernard Weinraub, The New York Times, July 27, 1994

"He wasn't the best student, and he hadn't done a lot of reading. We used to tease him that he would only read the plays he was about to do. In that sense, he's come miles." – Steppenwolf Theatre actor Laurie Metcalf on Sinise to Entertainment Weekly, July 29, 1994

"'The Stand' came out in May of '94 and was seen by 60 million people a night for four nights, and then two months later 'Forrest Gump' opened. So within a very short time I went from being depressed about not getting any work to being in two of the most popular shows of the year." – Sinise to Movieline, June 1995

"Each time out, I try to have some impact. If the part's important to the story, that's the vital thing." – Sinise quoted in Live!, September 1996

Ironically, on the night Sinise won his 1998 Emmy for his portrayal of politician George Wallace, Wallace died.

"I'm still basically a character actor in the business. Until you prove yourself as a box office star, you're not going to get offered those things. But I'm still driven by whether I connect to the character, and does it make sense to me as a movie. I've turned down things, possible commercial choices, but they just didn't feel right. I turned down some starring roles in features, but nothing I've ever regretted." – Sinise quoted in The Boston Globe, Aug. 2, 1998

"The actors I was most impressed with and who were influencing my taste were all movie actors, so I always wanted to do movies but I didn't want to go to Hollywood and become a waiter in the meantime. The chances are really slim that an actor will be discovered in Hollywood...I've never had to compromise myself for a job, ever." – Sinise to Neon, November 1998

"Television is very, very good to guys my age. The movies are very good to guys half my age. Things like type, age and celebrity all come into play with what's going to be available to you as an actor. Also, unless you are a very well established movie star, the level of writing you tend see is not all that good. The writing on television these days is quite often much better than in the movies." – Sinise on taking the role in "CSI: NY" to Emmy magazine, Issue no. 5, 2004